Log-wall corner construction



June 28, 1966 A. EQT'IFEINER 3,257,762

LQG-WALL CORNER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 25, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 28, 1966 Filed March 25, 1963 A. STElNER 9 S eeee s-Sheet 2 June 28, 1966 A. STEINER 3,257,762

LOG-WALL CORNER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 25, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGS 3Q 30 36 4 FIGJO 5:3{3 (34 56 8 ,4 rrakl e75 June 28, 1966 A. STEINER 3,257,762

LOG-WALL CORNER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 25, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Arratu sys June 28, 1966 A. STEINER 3,257,762

LOG-WALL CORNER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 25, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 PRIOR ART June 28, 1966 A. STEINER 3,257,762

LOG-WALL CORNER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 25, 1965 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 M04 FlGQ United States Patent 3,257,762 LOG-WALL CORNER CONSTRUETION Albert Steiner, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, as-

signor to Pan-Abode Buildings Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia, a corporation of the Province of British Columbia Filed Mar. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 267,571 r 9- Clairns. (Cl. 52233) This invention relates to walled structures having structural walls which comprise a plurality of longitudinally superimposed building units, and more specifically, to an improved interlocking joint construction for such structural walls. The invention is concerned in particular, too, with building units for use in building such structures.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved building units which can be driven together to form an interlocking joint which is superior in tightness, durability, and rigidity to prior art driven joints. These advantages are due largely to the fact that building units according to the present invention, when driven together to form an interlocking joint, are impacted together to an extent where the area of impacting is considerably \greater than that occurring in prior art joints.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical walled structure embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of a pair of superposed units constructed in accordance with the invention and in position for assembly to form an interlocking joint;

FIG. 2a is a top view of a building unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an interlocking joint in accordance with the invention and assembled from building units of the type shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a pair of superposed building units of the type shown in FIG. 2 after being removed from a joint of the type shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of prior art building units in position for assembly to form an interlocking joint;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a prior art interlocking joint assembled from building units of the type shown in FIG. 5; v

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of building units of the type shown in FIG. 5 after being removed from a joint of the type shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modification of the building unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8a is a top view of the building unit of FIG. 8;

FIG. 9 is a top view of a further modification of the building unit of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 10 is a top view of a still further modification of the building unit of FIG. 2.

Although the invention is hereinafter described with reference to a timber structure, such as a summer cottage ll shown in FIG. 1, it will be understood that the size of the building units could be scalled down for use in forming toy building structures for children. The toy building units could be made, for example from wood or compressible material such as rubber or polyurethane.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 3, there are shown portions of two structure walls indicated generally at 2 and 4 and interlocked at right angles, i.e. normal, one to the other, to form a joint indicated generally at 6. Each of the structure walls 2 and 4 comprises building units 8 superimposed longitudinally one above the other, the building units 8 of each wall being shown, for purposes ice of illustration, as substantially identical to those of the structure wall normal thereto.

In order that the longitudinally superimposed building units 8 of each individual structure wall may be closely and tightly held together along their entire length, either the upper or the lower surface of each building unit 8 carries a longitudinal groove 10 therein, the other surface being provided with a tongue 12 to cooperate with such groove. Further, to facilitate even and regular interlocking assembly of building units 8 of one structure wall with those of the structure wall normal thereto, such' as will later be explained, each building unit 8 is tapered inwardly in width at the top and bottom thereof, the eX-' tent of the tapering being indicated at reference numerals 14 and 16 respectively.

At the points where the structure walls 2 and 4 cross or interlock, the individual building units 8 of each structure wall must of course be relieved in depth, so that these individual building units of each structure wall may fit tightly longitudinally one above the other without longitudinal gaps or cracks. Hence each building unit 8 is provided, at the cross over point, with mutually opposed upper and lower notches indicated generally at 18 and 20 respectively, each such notch being of a length 22, the upper notch 18 having a pair of end walls 24, the lower notch 20 having a pair of end walls 26, and all of such end walls being normal to the longitudinal axis of their associated building unit. The combined depths of the upper and lower notches in building units of one structure wall, plus the combined depths of the upper and lower notches in building units of the structure wall normal thereto, is made at least equal to the height 38 of a building unit 8. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2

to 4, where building units 8 of each structure wall are identical, this means that the combined depths of the upper and lower notches in each building unit 8 is made at least equal to one-half the height of such building unit.

In order that a tightly impacted relation may prevail in the joint 6 when building units 8 of each structure wall 2 and 4 are driven together in interlocking relationship, the length 22 of the upper and lower notches 18 and 20 in each building unit is made appreciably less than the overall width 28 of a building unit laid normal thereto. However, to avoid a degree of impaction so great that assembly of the joint would be rendered difiicult and damage to the building units might result, each building unit 8 is relieved in width, at the crossover point, along a predetermined length less than the overall width of a building unit laid normal thereto, by provision of a pair of mutually opposed side notches, indicated generally at .30. The depth of the side notches 30 is made suflicient that the width 31 (see FIGS. 2, 2a, and 4) of the remaining core or reduced portion 32 in each building unit is substantially equal to the distance 22 between the endwalls of the upper and lower notches in a building unit laid normal thereto.

Referring particularly to FIG. 2, each side notch 30 includes a longitudinal side face 34, and a pair of end walls, indicated generally at 36, each end wall 36 being disposed (before impaction) uniformly throughout its length and width, at right angles to its associated longitudinal side face 34. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4 the side notches 30 are of the same length 22 as the upper and lower notches and are in registry therewith, the side notch end walls 36 extending smoothly and continuously into, and forming part of, the end walls 24 and 27 of the upper and lower notches. However, as shown in FIG. 8 (which will be referred to again presently) the side notches 30 could be of greater length than the upper and lower notches with side notch end walls 36 being set back from the end walls 24 and 26 of the upper and lower notches. Therefore, it is preferred in all cases to consider the side notch end walls 36 as extending, not merely between the top and bottom surfaces of the reduced portion 32, but over the entire distance 38 between the top and bottom surfaces of the building unit 8; and to consider them as coinciding in part with the end walls of the upper and lower notches in the embodiment of FIGS. 2. to 4.

Again, referring to FIG. 2, each side notch end wall 36 is divided into an upper portion 36a and a lower portion 36b the upper portion substantially conforming to the tapered contour 16 of the lower part of a building unit 8, and the lower portion substantially'conforming to the tapered contour 14 of the upper part of a building unit 8. The upper portions 36a and lower portions 36b meet at points 360 to define in each side notch a waist portion of reduced longitudinal length 40.

Thus when, for example, three building units are driven together to form an interlocking joint as shown in FIG. 3, the upper notch 18 of the intermediate building unit receives the lower part of the reduced portion 32 of the upper building unit, and the lower notch 20 of the intermediate vbuilding unit receives the upper part of the reduced portion 32 of the lower building unit. As the intermediate and the lower building units are driven together, the outer corners of the lower portions 36b of the side notch end walls 36 in the intermediate building unit interfere with the outer corners of the upper portions 36a of the side notch end walls 36 in the lower building unit, and the interfering areas become impacted or compressed. Similarly, as the upper and the intermediate building units are driven together, the outer corners of the upper portions 36a of the side notch end walls 36 in the intermediate building unit interfere with the outer corners of the lower portions 36b of the side notch end walls in the upper building unit, and the interfering areas here also become impacted or compressed. Such impaction results in a force tending to maintain the joint rigid.

FIG. 4 shows two building units 8 after being disassembled from a joint such as that of FIG. 3. The extent of thearea of impaction is diagrammatically indicated at 41, and it will be observed that the impacted area extends across substantially the entire width of the side notch end walls 36, and along substantially their en'- tire length, i.e. along the entire distance 38 between the upper and lower surfaces of the building unit 8. Moreover, a portion 41a (see FIG. 2a) of the outer surface of the building unit adjacent each side notch also receives some impaction along the entire distance 38. In other words the outer corner of each side notch end wall, such outer corner comprising the surface 41a and a considerable part of the side notch end wall 36, is impacted.

Actually, at the very tips 36c there is normally no impaction, because the length 40 of the waist portion in each building unit is made substantially equal to the corresponding widths of building units laid thereacross and immediately thereabove, and immediately therebelow. (In other words, referring to the joint of FIG. 3, the width of the waist portion 40 defined by the side notch end walls 36 of the intermediate building unit is made substantially equal to the width of the upper building unit measured at its lower surface, and to the width of the lower building unit measured at its upper surface.)

The reason why the side notch end walls 36 are shaped so that there is no impaction at the tips 360 is, again using the FIG. 3 joint as an illustration, so that the upper and lower building units may seat tightly longitudinally against each other despite the presence between them, at the crossover point, of the intermediate building unit. However, although there is no impact at this single point along the length of a side notch end wall, it is believed to be a fair statement that for all the practical purposes for which impaction is provided, impaction does occur aln e entire length of a side notch end wall 36.

The advantages of the present invention are best appreciated by reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, where a prior art interlocking joint and building units therefor are shown, like numerals representing corresponding parts. In the building units 8 of FIG. 5, the side notches 30 are each provided with a pair of end walls, indicated generally at 42, but each end wall 42 has a linear contour, i.e. it does not conform along its length to the tapered contour of the upper or lower part of a building unit laid normal to the building unit of which said end wall is a part.

Hence, when building units 8 are disassembled from a joint such as that of FIG. 6, as shown in FIG. 7, it will be seen that the extent of the area of impaction 41 along the length of each side notch end wall 42 is more limited than in building units made according to the invention; there is no impaction along a length 44 at the middle of each side notch end wall, nor is there any impaction along lengths 46 and 48 at the upper and lower extremes of each side notch end wall. The increase in the area of impaction provided over the prior art by building units made in accordance with the present invention results in an appreciable increase in tightness and durability of an interlocking joint made therefrom. Further, referring to FIG. 6, in the prior art assembled joint, a section 50 of v the reduced portion in each building unit is exposed to the elements, thus acting as a dirt trap and leading to more rapid deterioration of the joint than where the reduced portions 32 of each building unit are entirely covered, as in joints constructed according to the present invention.

Various changes, of which only a few will be mentioned, may be made in the design of the building units shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the building units of one structure wall need not be made identical with those of the structure wall normal thereto; they could be, for instance, of different widths, although the height of building units in one wall would have to be the same as the height of building units in the structure wall normal thereto. The upper and lower notches in each individual building unit could be of different depths, and their combined depth could differ from the combined depth of the upper and lower notches in a building unit normal thereto, so long as the combined depth of the upper and lower notches in a building unit of one structure wall, plus the combined depth of the upper and lower notches in building units of the structure wall normal thereto, were at least equal to the height of each. building unit.

Further, and as shown in FIG. 8, each side notch 30 in a building unit, while still being placed substantially in alignment with the upper and lower notches 18 and 20, may be made of greater length 52 than the length 22 of the upper and lower notches. The length 52 of the side notches in such building unit is still less than the overall width 28 of building units of the structure wall normal thereto. The length 22 of the upper and lower notches in the building unit of FIG. 8 now defines the length of the reduced portion 32 in such building unit, and such length 22 of the reduced portion 32 is still substantially equal to the width of the reduced portion 32 in building units of the structure wall normal to the building unit of FIG. 8. The building unit shown in FIG. 8 is commonly termed a female building unit, as opposed to the male building unit of FIGS. 2 to 7. Such female building units may be used, instead of male building units, in either one or both of the structure walls 2 and 4 of FIG. 3. However female building units would not normally be used in more than one of the pair of structure Walls of FIG. 3, because if they were used in both, impaction would occur only at the extreme outer corners of the side notch end walls 36, rather than over substantially their entire widths as shown in the construction of FIGS. 2 to 4.

Also,- and as shown in FIG. 9, each side notch end wall 36 in each building unit could be disposed, with respect to its associated longitudinal side face, at some angle other than the right angle shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. Such angle, as measured from the associated longitudinal side face 34, is normally obtuse. The length 54 of the side notch 30 of FIG. 9 is measured between the outer edges of the end walls 36, and it is this length 54 that is made appreciably less than the overall width'of a building unit laid normal to the building unit of FIG. 9.

As shown in FIG. 10, each side notch end wall 36 may be provided with a bevel, i.e. each side notch end wall would now include two faces, 56 and 58. The face 56 is located adjacent its associated longitudinal side face 34 and is disposed, uniformly throughout its length and width, at right angles thereto, while the face or bevel 58 is angularly disposed, uniformly throughout its length and width, to face 56; The length 60 of the sidenotch 30 of FIG. 10 is usually measured between the outer edges of the end walls 36, and it is this length 60 that is made appreciably less than the overall width of a building unit laid normal to the building unit of FIG. 10.

I claim:

l. A walled structure including two structure walls normal to one another, each said structure wall comprising a plurality of building units of resilient material superimposed longitudinally one above the other, said building units of one structure wall being alternately overlapped with buildings units of the structure wall normal thereto to form an interlocking joint for said walls, wherein each building unit of each structure wall is inwardly tapered in width at the top and bottom thereof to facilitate assembly of said joint and includes: a pair of mutually opposed upper and lower notches, each having a length defined by a pair of opposed longitudinally spaced end walls; a pair of mutually opposed side notches each of which intersect said upper and lower notches, the length of each said side notch in each building unit being at least equal to the length of its associated upper and lower notches but being less than the overall width of said building units of the structure wall normal thereto; the combined depths of the upper and lower notches in one building unit plus the combined depths of the upper and lower notches in one of said building units of the structure wall normal thereto being at least equal to the height of a building unit; a reduced portion for interlocking purposes defined by said upper and lower and side notches together, said reduced portion in each building unit of each structure wall being of a width substantially equal to the length of the reduced portion in the adjacent building units of the structure wall normal thereto; a longitudinal side face in eachside notch; and a pair of end walls in each side notch, each said side notch end wall being angularly disposed, uniformly throughout its length, to its associated longitudinal side face, said side notch end walls in each building unit having upper portions which substantially conform to the tapered contour of the lower part of the adjacent upper building unit of the structure wall normal thereto and having lower portions which substantially conform to the tapered contour of the upper part of the adjacent lower building unit of said structure wall normal thereto, the said upper and lower portions of said side notch end walls meeting to define, in each side notch of each building unit, a waist portion of reduced longitudinal length; whereby in said joint the upper notch of a building unit of one structure wall receives the lower part of the reduced portion of an adjacent building unit laid thereacross and thereabove, the lower notch of said building unit of said one structure wall receives the upper part of the reduced portion of an adjacent building unit laid thereacross and therebelow, and the outer corners of said side notch end walls in said building unit of said one structure wall are in impacted relation with the adjacent outer corners of the side notch end walls in said adjacent upper and lower building units, said impaction occurring along substantially the entire length of the side notch end walls in said building unit of said one structure wall.

2. A building unit of resilient material adapted to be interlocked at right angles, and intermediate, adjacent upper and lower similar building units to form an interlocking joint for two normally disposed structural walls comprising in combination: an elongated member of resilient material having opposed top and bottom surfaces and a pair of opposed exterior side surfaces tapering inwardly toward one another toward said top and bottom surfaces to thereby define upper and lower longitudinally edge portions having an inwardly tapered contour so as to facilitate interlocking assembly of said unit with other similar units; opposed upper and lower notches in said top and bottom surfaces respectively having a combined depth at least equal to one-half the height of said member, said upper and lower notches each having a pair of opposed longitudinally spaced end walls extending transversely of, and substantially normal to, the longitudinal axis of said member, the longitudinal spacing between the opposed end walls of each of said pair being less than the overall width of said member defined by said opposed exterior side surfaces; and a pair of mutually opposed side notches in said opposed side surfaces intersecting said upper and lower notches so as to define therewith a reduced portion adapted to-be interlockingly received within the upper and lower notches of similar building units disposed normally below and above said building unit respectively, said reduced portion having opposed lateral surfaces extending longitudinally of said member so as to define a side face within each of said side notches, the length of each of said side notches being defined by a pair of opposed longitudinally spaced side notch end walls disposed transversely of the longitudinal axis of said member and extending between the inwardly tapered longitudinal edge portions thereof, the longitudinal spacing between the opposed side notch end walls of each pair being less than the overall width of said member defined by said opposed exterior side surfaces, and each side notch end wall of each pair having an upper portion conforming in contour to the inwardly tapered contour of the lower part of said member and a lower portion conforming in contour to the inwardly tapered contour of the upper part of said member, the upper and lower portions of each side notch end wall merging in a relatively sharp juncture to define longitudinally between opposed junctures within each side notch a waist portion of reduced length so that when said building unit is forced into interconnecting relationship at right angles with, and intermediate adjacent upper and lower similar building units, the upper notch of said building unit receives the lower reduced portion of said upper similar building unit and the lower notch of said building unit receives the upper part of the reduced portion of said lower similar building unit, and the outer corners of each of said side notch end walls in said building unit will be in impacted relation substantially throughout their entire length with the adjacent outer corners of the side notch end walls of the said upper and lower similar building units.

3. A building unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein said reduced portion is, along said waist portion, of uniform rectangular intermediate transverse cross-section.

4. A building unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein each said end wall of each side notch is disposed, uniformly throughout its length and width, at right angles to its associated longitudinal side face.

5. A building unit as' claimed in claim 4 wherein said side notches are in registry with said upper and lower notches, said side notch end Walls extending smoothly and continuously into and forming part of end walls of said upper and lower notches.

6. A building unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein said material is wood.

7. A building unit as claimed in claim 3 including a pair of faces in each end wall of each side notch, one

said face being adjacent an associated longitudinal side face of said end wall and being disposed, uniformly throughout its length and width, at right angles thereto, and the other said face being angularly disposed, uniformly throughout its length and width, to said one face.

8. A building unit as claimed in claim 7 wherein said side notches are in registry with said upper and lower notches, said side notch end walls extending smoothly and continuously into and forming part of end walls of said upper and lower notches.

9. A building unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein said material is wood.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 2,588,814 3/1952 Erland el al. 2092 2,712,678 7/1955 Jensen 20-92 X FOREIGN PATENTS 523,178 10/1922 France.

968,875 5/1950 France.

844,964 7/1952 Germany.

325,407 2/1930 Great Britain.

36,361 12/1922 Norway.

RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., Primary Examiner.

E. J. WITMER, FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiners.

R. A. STENZEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WALLED STRUCTURE INCLUDING TWO STRUCTURE WALLS NORMAL TO ONE ANOTHER, EACH SAID STRUCTURE WALL COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BUILDING UNITS OF RESILIENT MATERIAL SUPERIMPOSED LONGITUDINALLY ONE ABOVE THE OTHER, SAID BUILDING UNITS OF ONE STRUCTURE WALL BEING ALTERNATELY OVERLAPPED WITH BUILDINGS UNITS OF THE STRUCTURE WALL NORMAL THERETO TO FORM AN INTERLOCKING JOINT FOR SAID WALLS, WHEREIN EACH BUILDING UNIT OF EACH STRUCTURE WALL IS INWARDLY TAPERED IN WIDTH AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM THEREOF TO FACILITATE ASSEMBLY OF SAID JOINT AND INCLUDES: A PAIR OF MUTUALLY OPPOSED UPPER AND LOWER NOTCHES, EACH HAVING A LENGTH DEFINED BY A PAIR OF OPPOSED LONGITUDINALLY SPACED END WALLS; A PAIR OF MUTUALLY OPPOSED SIDE NOTCHES EACH OF WHICH INTERSECT SAID UPPER AND LOWER NOTCHES, THE LENGTH OF EACH SAID SIDE NOTCH IN EACH BUILDING UNIT BEING AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF ITS ASSOCIATED UPPER AND LOWER NOTCHES BUT BEING LESS THAN THE OVERALL WIDTH OF SAID BUILDING UNITS OF THE STRUCTURE WALL NORMAL THERETO; THE COMBINED DEPTHS OF THE UPPER AND LOWER NOTCHES IN ONE BUILDING UNIT PLUS THE COMBINED DEPTHS OF THE UPPER AND LOWER NOTCHES IN ONE OF SAID BUILDING UNITS OF THE STRUCTURE WALL NORMAL THERETO BEING AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE HEIGHT OF A BUILDING UNIT; A REDUCED PORTION FOR INTERLOCKING PURPOSES DEFINED BY SAID UPPER AND LOWER AND SIDE NOTCHES TOGETHER, SAID REDUCED PORTION IN EACH BUILDING UNIT OF EACH STRUCTURE WALL BEING OF A WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF THE REDUCED PORTION IN THE ADJACENT BUILDING UNITS OF THE STRUCTURE WALL NORMAL THERETO; A LONGITUDINAL SIDE FACE IN EACH SIDE NOTCH; AND A PAIR OF END WALLS IN EACH SIDE NOTCH, EACH SAID SIDE NOTCH END WALL 